1. Field of Invention
This invention is related to compositions for sanitizing water bodies. More particularly, this invention is related to rapidly disintegrating compositions containing chloroisocyanurate compounds for sanitizing water bodies.
2. Description of Related Art
Trichloroisocyanuric acid is a known commercial compound for sanitizing water bodies such as swimming pools by providing available chlorine when dissolved in the water. When placed in a water body such as a swimming pool, trichloroisocyanuric acid dissolves slowly to release its available chlorine concentration and sanitize the water body. The solubility rate, for example, for tablets containing 14 grams of trichloroisocyanuric acid in water at 21.degree. C. is about 0.27 gram per hour.
When increased solubility in water is required, other chloroisocyanurates, such as dichloroisocyanuric acid, or alkali metal salts of dichloroisocyanuric acid and their hydrates can be employed.
Alternatively, to increase the solubility rate of trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCCA), mixtures have been prepared with alkali metal salts, such as alkali metal carbonates and bicarbonates which react with TCCA in the presence of water to form an alkali metal dichloroisocyanurate.
Mixtures of trichloroisocyanuric acid with water soluble alkali metal salts such as alkali metal phosphates, including trisodium phosphate and tetrasodium phosphate, as well as sodium borate and sodium silicate are also known as sanitizing agents.
Separately, South African patent No. 73-9740, issued to Henkel & Cie teaches making readily soluble tablets by mixing dichloroisocyanuric acid or its alkali metal salts with starches such as potato, maize, wheat or rice starch, or starches which have been chemically partially reduced, peptized, or carboxymethylated. These tablets are used for the production of bleaching and disinfecting solutions, for example, for textiles, cleansing and rinsing preparations, alkaline bottle cleaners and mechanical dish washer preparations. The tablets can contain from 2.5 to 18 percent by weight of the starch and 80-97 percent by weight of sodium or potassium dichloroisocyanurate. It has been found, however, that in tablets oxidation of the starch occurs which reduces the stability of these mixtures.